General Studies Paper -1 Context: The Delhi High Court has recently observed that the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act is a “measure of social justice applicable to each woman irrespective of religious affiliation or social background”. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 It has come into force since 2006. Aim: To provide protection to wife or female live-in partner from violence at the hands of the husband or male live-in partner or his relatives. Domestic Violence: Domestic violence under the Act includes actual abuse or threat of abuse, whether physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, or economic. Harassment....Read More

General Studies Paper-1 Context: The India Employment Report, 2024, released by the Institute for Human Development and the International Labour Organization, points out that key labor market indicators have improved in recent years. Key Findings In India the female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is very low compared to the male counterparts. In 2023, for male LFPR was 5%; and for women LFPR was37%.  The world women LFPR rate is 49%,according to the World Bank figures. The female LFPR had been steadily declining since 2000 and touched 24.5%  in 2019, before inching up, particularly in rural areas. Status of women employed: The....Read More

General Studies Paper -2 Context: A parliamentary committee examining Bill seeking to raise the age of marriage of women from the present 18 years to 21 has been given another extension to table its report. The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021,was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2021 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports. The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 The Bill amends the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 to increase the minimum age of marriage of females to 21 years.  Further, the Bill will override any other law, custom, or practice. Under....Read More

General Studies Paper -1 Context: The Lancet study highlighted that Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra accounted for more than half of the total headcount burden of child marriages in girls. Child Marriage in India According to National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) 2019-21, women in the age group of 20-24 years who were married before they turned 18, are 14.7% in urban and 27% in rural areas. Women aged 15-19 years who were already mothers or pregnant at the time of the survey were 3.8% (urban) and 7.9% (rural). The largest absolute increase in headcount was observed in West....Read More

General Studies Paper 1 Context: 17th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report (G3R) of the WEF or World Economic Forum (2023), based on data from 146 countries, has concluded that at the current rate of progress, it will take 131 years to close the global gender gap; it is 149 years in populous South Asian countries including India. Global gender gap It "assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities". Gender Gap Index measures gender equality based on the....Read More

General Studies Paper 1 Recent Context Every year, on 15 October, The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Rural Women celebrates and honors the role of rural. It recognizes rural women's importance in enhancing agricultural and rural development worldwide. But it is concerning that that India not only recorded one of the lowest female labour force participation rates (LFPR) in the world, but that it was also lower than other South Asian countries except Afghanistan and Pakistan Status of women as per, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data PLFS data indicates that for women in the working age group (15-59....Read More

General Studies Paper 1 Introduction Circular migration is a repetitive form of migration wherein people move to another place (the destination country) and back (country of origin) according to the availability of employment. The definition This effectively means that instead of migrating permanently or temporarily (moving for a period of time to complete any contract based labour) to another location, people move to different locations for a brief period of time when work is available. It is a phenomenon mostly among low income groups who migrate to avail of seasonally available jobs in another country, city, place etc. Circular migration....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 The atmosphere of religious intolerance which has seen a sharp rise in the last several years has been a serious cause for concern in the country. India is the beloved home for practitioners of all major religions in the world. Indian culture accepts diversity of faiths and beliefs. Religious harmony and social cohesion are two core elements for progress and development. As per Pew Research Survey 2021, Indians of diverse religious backgrounds overwhelmingly say they are very free to practice their faiths But there is growing intolerance towards diverse religions leading to communal violence and ripples in social harmony. Instances of intolerance....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 UN Habitat has identified various pressing issues posing challenges for urban planners of Jaipur City. Issues highlighted include: Rapid expansion of cities. Weak urban mobility. Extreme levels of drought during summer and also urban floods.  Recommendations: Increase the green cover, strengthen urban biodiversity, and thereby enhance the quality of life for citizens. Implement the idea of a compact city with re-development and re-densification of the existing urban areas. To curb development on the city’s outskirts, link the distance from the main city to the development charges imposed on citizens. Eco-trails with plantations along natural drainage channels and railway....Read More